Homes

Helen Chesnut: Three Sisters of veggies lend mutual support

Q: Do you know what plants are referred to as the "three sisters," and why they were given that name?

A: They are corn, beans and squash, vegetables traditionally planted together to benefit plants and soil — the way family members (ideally) work together for the good of the whole unit.

The corn stalks serve as supports for pole beans, which, as legumes, fix nitrogen at their roots to give the nitrogen-hungry corn a nutrient boost. Squash planted around the patch creates a living mulch to keep the soil cool and retain moisture. The squash also prevents raccoons from having the easy, open access to corn that they prefer.

Q: Some of my winter squash and pumpkins spoiled halfway through the winter. Do some varieties last especially well? How should I prepare harvested squash for storage?

A: Pumpkins don't last in storage as long as most winter squash, even in excellent storage conditions. I try to use all the pumpkins by mid to late February.

Make sure the fruits have reached maturity before harvesting. They should produce a dry, hollow sound when tapped with the knuckles and the skins should be hard and dry. Leave a substantial stem attached. Wipe the fruits thoroughly with a clean, damp cloth and place them in the sun to dry. I further the skin-hardening process by "curing" the fruits in a very warm place (around 25 C), such as near a furnace or by a wood stove, for around 10 days.

Store squash and pumpkins in a dry place that is cool, but not cold, ideally in the 10-to-15 C range. I place my cured fruits in baskets just inside the north-facing front door, in a small vestibule that stays decidedly cool through the winter.

The squash that surprises me with its long keeping quality is banana squash. I've had these last through to the end of May. The flesh remained thick and sweet, with no deterioration or shrinking at all.